Mandated Disclosures

High school administrator

NIU provides information about the performance of our teacher candidates on state-mandated licensure tests. We also make available an estimate of the additional costs incurred by candidates as they complete licensure programs. Please find this information below.

Obtaining a first professional certificate or license in any profession takes a great deal of training and education. There are some very real costs associated with it as well. Becoming a teacher requires multiple expenditures throughout your program of study, and we want you to be aware of them to help you plan and achieve your goal of becoming a teacher.

The total costs are not trivial, but they are a required part of the overall expense of joining the profession. While we cannot predict all contingencies (having to take a test multiple times, needing more than one criminal background check, etc.), to the best of our ability, these are the estimated costs associated with becoming a teacher in Illinois:

Time Frame Requirement Expected Cost
Sophomore Year
One criminal background check (CBC) (ISBE-mandated) $65 (average fee, although these fees vary widely)*
One tuberculosis test (TB test), at University Health Services $10 (if you opt for your own insurance plan or use student insurance; costs higher if obtained elsewhere)
Junior Year Illinois State Board of Education, content test (paid to Pearson/NCS) $135, computer-based administration
Two criminal background checks (CBC) (ISBE-mandated) $65 (average fee)/total: $130
One tuberculosis test (TB test), at University Health Services $10
Senior Year Illinois State Board of Education, additional content test for additional endorsement area or second field (paid to Pearson/NCS) $135, computer-based administration
One tuberculosis test (TB test), at University Health Services $10
Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA) (paid to Pearson) $300
One criminal background check (CBC) (ISBE-mandated) $65 (average fee)
One physical (from provider of your choice) $30-$70 (average fee)
End of Program Teaching license registration fee Once you have graduated and/or completed your program, you will have to pay the ISBE $100 to activate your teaching license.
Total Costs $1,030 over three years

If you have any questions about these costs, please speak to your program advisor, to the Financial Aid Office, or to the University Office of Educator Licensure and Preparation.

*While we have included four CBCs in our estimates, some programs are structured so that students may be required to have as many as 10, adding an additional $390. All costs for CBCs are estimates only and vary widely by placement sites.

CAEP Accountability Measures

Measures 1 and 2: Completer Effectiveness and Satisfaction of Employers

Completer effectiveness and employer satisfaction are measured by performance evaluations of graduates in their first year of employment.

  • 97% of initial and advanced NIU graduates employed in Illinois public schools were rated at proficient or higher by their employers in their first year of teaching.
Performance Evaluation Demonstrated Teaching Skills/impact on K-12 Students (as first year in-service teachers)

 

Initial (Undergraduate)

Advanced (Graduate)

Excellent

28.2%

47.4%

Proficient

68.3%

51.3%

Additionally, more than 85% of all initial program completers strongly agreed that their respective programs prepared them to be educators.

Measure 3: Candidate Competency at Completion

The following number of candidates received endorsements from NIU upon program completion:

PEL Only (1 endorsement)

244

PEL w/Addl Endorsements

110

Grand Total PELs Issued

354

Grand Total Endorsements Linked to Initial PELs

479

Subsequent Endorsements Only

104

Short Term Approvals

39

Candidate competency at completion is measured by performance on state tests.

Candidate Performance on Required Licensure Tests

 

First Attempt

Cumulative Attempts

 

N

N Pass

% Pass

N

N Pass

% Pass

Statewide

19,440

15,638

80%

20,523

17,666

86%

Northern Illinois University

791

644

81%

852

751

88%

The passing score for all Illinois Content Area Tests is 240. The table below indicates the average scores for candidates at NIU and at the state level.

Program Level

Passing Score

NIU Average

State Average

All

240

261

255

Initial

240

260

254

Advanced

240

263

256

The table below indicates the most recent pass rates on the Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA) for the state and NIU.

2019-2020
July 2019 – June 2020

**Total Attempts (N)

**Total Attempts Pass Rate

**Best Attempt (N)

**Best Attempt Pass Rate

State

4023

Not Reported

3300

94%

NIU

304

88%

267

95%

**Data from Pearson do not take into account the gubernatorial emergency order (GEO) under COVID-19.

Measure 4: Ability of Completers To Be Hired

Candidate Placement in Illinois Public Schools
  • Initial Programs: 66.3% placed; 48.6% in high need areas.
  • Advanced Programs: 87.9% placed; 45.5% in high need areas.

Latest Summary Data for Candidates in Licensure Programs

For specific information regarding each licensure program, please see the Illinois Educator Preparation Profile (IEPP). The IEPP has been developed as a tool for "accountability, continuous improvement, and transparency to strengthen teacher preparation statewide in the long term." To that end, in the IEPP, information is organized across four scored domains: Candidate Selection and Completion; Knowledge and Skills for Teaching; Performance as Classroom Teachers; and Contribution to State Needs. A domain may have up to four indicators, each of which has a minimum standard and a state target on a 100-point scale.

The public portal of the IEPP can be located at: Illinois Educator Preparation Profile (isbe.net).